1:72 Achaean warriors 13- 12th century BC

The real subject

The Achaeans are the warriors of Mycenaean Greece of the late Bronze Age, that is of the 13th and 12th centuries BC. Their equipment rested on bronze: spearheads, swords, and with the noble warriors beaten armor as well, together with large shields carried on a strap over the shoulder and helmets strengthened with plates of boar tusk. Tradition places the story of the war at Troy in the same period, so the figures fit both into a collection on ancient history and into scenes based on the Homeric songs.

What the set is

A set of figures in 1:72 scale. It is supplied unpainted, so after taking them out of the package clean the figures up carefully with a sharp blade and fine sandpaper, wash them and degrease them. Count on fine work: a figure that in reality stands around one hundred and seventy centimeters tall measures not quite two and a half centimeters at this scale.

Painting tips

• Try the adhesion of the paint on one piece first, and only then start on the whole group.
• Paint from the darker tones toward the lighter ones; a dark wash into the folds does more for legibility than drawing in details.
• Tone the metallic shade of the bronze down with a brown wash, otherwise it looks like a new coin on a figure.
• The shields are the largest continuous surface; it is they that carry the impression of color of the whole detachment.
• Keep the skin and the cloth in the same shades throughout the group, so that the figures look like one army.

Who it is for

For collectors of historical figures, for builders of dioramas of antiquity and for players of tabletop battles who put armies together in 1:72. The exact composition of the set and the number of poses are given by the manufacturer on the packaging. Paints and glue are not part of it, unless stated otherwise.